Civil Service Board approves hiring of firefighters

Friday

Nov 30, 2012 at 6:09 PMNov 30, 2012 at 6:11 PM

The Gadsden Civil Service Board on Friday approved the hiring of 20 firefighters, but one board member expressed concerns that two of the candidates hired had admitted to previous drug use and one had sold drugs.

BY ANDY POWELLTimes Staff Writer

The Gadsden Civil Service Board on Friday approved the hiring of 20 firefighters, but one board member expressed concerns that two of the candidates hired had admitted to previous drug use and one had sold drugs.The board approved the hirings on a 3-0 vote, with Jason Stinson abstaining over the drug issue. It discussed the hirings for about an hour in executive session before voting.Chairwoman Marion Ford did not attend the meeting.Board member Alice Pruett in making a motion to approve the hirings said two applicants had admitted to drug use, with one having admitted to smoking marijuana earlier this year. The other admitted to smoking marijuana in the past and using cocaine several years ago. That applicant had also admitted to selling marijuana.Pruett said the candidate had tested well, and has a good future and would be a good firefighter, adding that under the circumstances, “We need these people hired.” The two will be monitored closely for drug use as conditions for their hiring, Pruett said, and if they have any problems, “they will be out immediately.”Personnel Director Jerry Gladden said they will undergo monthly random drug testing for a year.Board member Jim Roberts said those hired are under a six-month probationary period and drug tests are done on all employees. He said any discharges “would be quick and swift.”Board member Billy Billingsley said, “I’d like to hire perfect people, but there are very few perfect people in this world, and young people are going to make mistakes. I was young and I made mistakes, I don’t know anybody in here that ... probably has not made a mistake. We just have to deal with what we’ve got in the situation we are in right now.” Stinson said he supported hiring 18 of the 20 applicants, but didn’t want to hire the two who had admitted to previous drug use. He said he didn’t want to vote against the hiring of the other applicants, so he did not vote. He said he didn’t think he would be a “good steward of my community” by voting on the motion. He said there were other qualified, higher-ranked applicants who did not have drug issues, and they should have been considered.Gladden said the city started with a hiring pool of about 30 applicants, but not all of them passed the screening process.The hirings represent almost one-sixth of the department’s 122 firefighters and will bring the department to full strength after retirements this year.Most stemmed from a city buyout program in July to encourage retirements. Others decided to retire before Jan. 1 because of changes in retiree insurance.Eleven of the new hires are certified firefighters who will begin work as soon as possible — some next week. One of the certified firefighters previously had worked for the city and was reinstated.Nine applicants will begin work Jan. 4 because of budget issues and will have to go through training.Two of the new hires were blacks who because of a court settlement are hired on a one-to-one ratio with white applicants. They were the only black applicants who passed the screening.Hired were Stephen Blagovich, John Brown, Leslie Brown, Ricky Collie, Ryan Coley, Dexter Davis, Chris Dillard, James Dillard, Jerry Eaton, David Esskuchen, Joshua Henson, Tim Keener, Levi Mills, Joshua Nabors, Kyle Nelson, Cameron Parnell, Chris Pate, Ben Ponder, Bobby Ridgeway and Matthew Roberts.The board also approved new commanders and drivers to replace retirees. Fire Chief Stephen Carroll recommended and the board approved promoting drivers Craig Chappell, Charlie Ethridge, Jimmy Gann, Elliot Rowan, Scott Royal and Travis Ulbrich to commander. It approved promoting firefighters Justin Campbell, Eric Estes, Andy Hiti, Heath Smith, Ramey Waters and Justin Zemo to driver.

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